Martyred Khamenei viewed unity as Iran’s greatest asset: Pezeshkian
An ocean of mourners packed the streets of the Iranian capital of Tehran on Monday to pay their last tributes as the coffin of martyred Leader of the Is lamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was carried in a historic fu neral procession to Azadi Square. The multi-million-strong procession be gan at 6:00 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) on Monday from Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex, where the body had lain in state for two days. The procession, which drew millions of mourners from across the country, also carried the flag-draped coffins of several members of late Ayatollah Khamenei’s family, who were all assassinated along side the Leader on the first day of the recent US-Israeli war of aggression on February 28. Attired in black and beating their chests in mourning, large crowds flooded the streets in Tehran as the funeral convoy made its way through the capital, chant ing slogans that called for revenge for the Leader's blood and waving Iranian flags and carrying his portraits. Mourners poured flowers on the coffin of the martyred Leader on its way to ward Tehran’s Azadi Square. As the cortege reached Azadi Square, the vehicle carrying the sacred body of the martyred Leader was forced to stop because of the overwhelming outpour ing of grief and affection from mourners gathered around it. High-ranking officials, including Pres ident Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, IRGC Quds Force Commander Brig adier General Esmaeil Qa’ani, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati were seen within the crowds of citizens. The massive scale of the procession drew significant coverage from inter national media outlets, including Israeli press channels, which widely broadcast ed the immense density of the public turnout in the capital. Delegations from scores of countries, in cluding heads of state, prime ministers, and senior officials from Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Tajikistan, Turkey, and dozens of other nations, arrived in Tehran to pay their respects on Friday. According to organizers, funeral cere monies for late Ayatollah Khamenei and his family will continue on Tuesday in the holy city of Qom. Additional farewell and funeral events are scheduled for Wednesday in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. The final funeral rites are set to take place on Thursday in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, where Aya tollah Khamenei will be buried at the shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the eighth Shia Imam, in accordance with the martyred Leader's will. In his social media X account on Mon day, Pezeshkian underlined that the martyred Leader taught everyone that Iran's greatest asset is its people and their unyielding unity. Reflected on the foundational principles left behind by the late Leader, Pezeshki an urged the Iranian nation to maintain cohesion during this transitional period. "The martyred Leader taught everyone that Iran's greatest asset is its people and their unity," the president wrote. Invoking spiritual and strategic resolve, Pezeshkian added, "Today, by acting upon the divine command to 'stand up for God, in pairs or individually,' we will continue the path of honor, progress, and pride for Iran through empathy, na tional consensus, and sincere service to the people." Pezeshkian heads delegation to Iraq’s procession Meanwhile, state media reports con firmed that Pezeshkian will travel to Iraq on Tuesday to attend the funeral ceremony for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, scheduled to be held in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday. The presidential visit underscores the profound religious and diplomatic co ordination between Tehran and Bagh dad for the security and logistics of the international funeral transits. Prior to the official announcement, sev eral regional media outlets had specu lated regarding the composition of the Iranian delegation, claiming that Hujjat al-Islam Seyed Mostafa Khamenei — the eldest son of the martyred Leader — and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf would be heading the fu neral mission to Iraq. Officials in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf have announced full readiness to host the funeral procession of the martyred Leader. The Iraqi media cited Yousef Makki Kanawi, the governor and head of the local government in Najaf, as saying on Monday that all security, logistical, and support preparations for the funeral of Ayatollah Khamenei had been complet ed. Stating that the ceremony consists of both official and public segments, he said the first would be attended by the heads of Iraq’s executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and leaders of different political factions, as well as lawmakers and other officials, at Najaf International Airport on Tuesday. The governor of Najaf underscored the holy city has hosted a delegation com prising representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Joint Operations Command, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the Iranian ambassador. The second event, he said, is a public procession beginning at 6:00 a.m. lo cal time on Wednesday, from the Sadr Hospital Bridge on Airport Street, and would pass through the city’s old quar ter and would conclude at the holy shrine of Imam Ali (AS). According to Kanawi, more than one hundred temporary service stations, called Mawkibs, have been set up along the funeral procession routes to help the mourners and provide services to them.
